Bottle Feeding Baby Goats: Schedule, Amounts & Weaning

Last updated: March 2026 · 5 min read

Whether you are raising bottle babies by choice (for friendlier, more handleable goats and controlled milk production from the dam) or by necessity (orphaned or rejected kids), bottle feeding is one of the most time-intensive but rewarding parts of goat farming. Get the schedule and amounts right and your kids will thrive. Get them wrong and you risk scours, slow growth, or worse.

Dam-Raised vs Bottle-Fed

Both approaches produce healthy goats. The choice depends on your goals:

Factor	Dam-Raised	Bottle-Fed
Human friendliness	Varies — some are friendly, some skittish	Very friendly and bonded to humans
Your time	Low — the doe does the work	High — 3 to 4 feedings per day initially
Milk for you	Less available (kids are drinking it)	Full milk harvest from the doe
Kid growth rate	Often faster (on-demand nursing)	Good with proper schedule
Disease prevention	Risk of CAE/CL transmission through milk	Heat-treated milk or pasteurized eliminates CAE/CL risk
Cost	Lower (no milk replacer, no bottles)	Higher if using replacer; minimal if using farm milk

CAE prevention: Many dairy goat breeders bottle-feed specifically to prevent CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis) transmission from dam to kid through milk. If CAE prevention is your goal, remove kids from the dam immediately at birth (before nursing) and feed heat-treated colostrum and pasteurized milk. Heat colostrum to 135 degrees F for one hour (not higher — it will gel). Pasteurize milk to 161 degrees F for 15 seconds or 145 degrees F for 30 minutes.

The First 24 Hours: Colostrum

Colostrum is the single most critical factor in a newborn kid's survival. It provides antibodies (immunoglobulins) that the kid cannot produce on its own for the first several weeks of life.

Amount: 10% of body weight in the first 24 hours. A 7-lb kid needs about 11 oz total. A 4-lb Nigerian Dwarf kid needs about 6 oz.
Timing: First feeding within 1 hour of birth. The kid's gut can only absorb antibodies efficiently for the first 12 to 24 hours. After 24 hours, the gut "closes" and colostrum antibodies pass through without being absorbed.
Frequency: Feed colostrum 3 to 4 times in the first 24 hours. Small, frequent feedings are better than one large feeding.
Source: Dam's own colostrum is best. Frozen colostrum from a CAE-negative doe in your herd is second best. Powdered colostrum replacer (not supplement — replacer) is the backup option.

Colostrum replacer vs supplement: These are not the same thing. Colostrum REPLACER contains actual immunoglobulins (IgG) and can serve as the sole colostrum source. Colostrum SUPPLEMENT provides some nutrition but not enough antibodies to replace real colostrum. Read the label carefully. For kids that cannot nurse from the dam, you need replacer, not supplement.

Feeding Schedule by Age

Standard dairy breed kids

Age	Feedings/Day	Amount per Feeding	Total Daily
Days 1 to 3	4	3 to 4 oz	12 to 16 oz (colostrum, then transition milk)
Days 4 to 14	3 to 4	4 to 6 oz	16 to 24 oz
Weeks 2 to 4	3	6 to 10 oz	18 to 30 oz
Weeks 4 to 8	2 to 3	10 to 16 oz	20 to 48 oz
Weeks 8 to 12	2	12 to 16 oz	24 to 32 oz (begin reducing toward weaning)

Nigerian Dwarf kids (smaller amounts)

Age	Feedings/Day	Amount per Feeding	Total Daily
Days 1 to 3	4	1.5 to 3 oz	6 to 12 oz
Days 4 to 14	3 to 4	3 to 4 oz	9 to 16 oz
Weeks 2 to 4	3	4 to 6 oz	12 to 18 oz
Weeks 4 to 8	2 to 3	6 to 10 oz	12 to 30 oz
Weeks 8 to 12	2	8 to 10 oz	16 to 20 oz (reducing)

The belly test: After feeding, feel the kid's belly. It should feel full and rounded but not tight like a drum. If the belly is tight and distended, you fed too much. If the kid is still frantically searching for more and the belly feels empty, feed a bit more. Kids' appetites vary — use the schedule as a starting point and adjust based on the individual kid.

What to Feed

Option 1: Goat milk from your herd (best)

Fresh, whole goat milk from your own does is the ideal bottle-feeding milk. It has the right fat and protein composition, the kid's digestive system is designed for it, and it is free if you are already milking.

Can be fed fresh or stored refrigerated for up to 3 days
Freeze extras in labeled bags for when fresh milk is not available
Warm to 100 to 105 degrees F before feeding (body temperature)
If pasteurizing for CAE prevention: 161 degrees F for 15 seconds, then cool before feeding

Option 2: Milk replacer

Use only goat-specific or kid-specific milk replacer. Calf milk replacer has different protein and fat ratios and can cause digestive problems in goat kids.

Look for replacers with at least 22% protein and 22% fat (for goat kids)
Mix exactly per label directions — too concentrated causes scours, too dilute causes poor growth
Lamb milk replacer is an acceptable alternative if goat-specific is unavailable (closer in composition to goat milk than calf replacer)

Option 3: Cow milk (in a pinch)

Whole cow milk from the store works as a temporary substitute. It is lower in fat and protein than goat milk but kids can thrive on it. Many goat farmers use whole cow milk for bottle kids with good results. Do not use skim, 2%, or ultra-pasteurized.

Equipment

Pritchard nipple: The standard for goat kids. Red nipple with a yellow cap that screws onto any standard soda or water bottle. Cut a small X in the tip — not too large or milk flows too fast and causes aspiration.
Lamb bar / bucket feeder: For multiple kids. A bucket with multiple nipples attached. Kids learn to self-feed, saving significant labor. Best for 4+ bottle kids.
Feeding tube (emergency): For kids too weak to suck. This is a life-saving skill to learn before kidding season. Your vet or an experienced goat mentor can teach you.

Weaning

Weaning typically occurs between 8 and 12 weeks of age, depending on the kid's size, rumen development, and your management preference.

Signs a kid is ready to wean

Eating hay and grain consistently for at least 2 weeks
Chewing cud (sign of functional rumen)
At least double birth weight (ideally triple)
Active, healthy, good body condition

Weaning method

Gradual weaning is less stressful than abrupt cutoff:

At 8 weeks, drop from 3 feedings to 2 per day
At 9 to 10 weeks, drop to 1 feeding per day
At 10 to 12 weeks, reduce the single feeding amount over a few days, then stop
Ensure hay, grain, water, and minerals are freely available throughout the transition

Coccidia warning: Weaning is the highest-risk period for coccidiosis. The stress of diet change plus the transition from milk-based to forage-based nutrition makes kids highly susceptible. Start a coccidia prevention program (Corid or sulfa drugs) at 3 to 4 weeks of age and continue through weaning.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Solution
Kid refuses bottle	Not hungry, milk too cold or hot, wrong nipple	Wait 30 min, warm milk to 100 to 105 degrees F, try different nipple. Gently pry mouth open and insert nipple.
Scours (diarrhea)	Overfeeding, milk too cold, dirty equipment, coccidia, bacterial infection	Reduce volume per feeding, ensure proper temperature, sterilize bottles between feedings, start electrolytes if dehydrated.
Bloat after feeding	Milk entering rumen instead of abomasum (wrong feeding position)	Feed with kid standing (not on its back). The nipple should be at or above head level so the esophageal groove directs milk to the abomasum.
Slow growth	Not enough volume, poor-quality replacer, parasites, coccidia	Increase per-feeding amount, switch to goat milk if using replacer, check for parasites and coccidia.
Floppy kid syndrome	Metabolic acidosis, often in overfed kids under 2 weeks	Reduce feeding volume, give baking soda solution (1/2 tsp in 2 oz warm water). Consult vet for severe cases.

Track every kid from birth

Herd Manager records birth details, weights, and health events for every kid. Track growth rates on bottle-fed vs dam-raised kids and see which management approach produces the best results in your herd.

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